The gym can be an intimidating place, especially for women. For the vast majority of my life, I didn’t think lifting weights was an option for me. I have tried out a bunch of different types of exercising throughout my life, from plain old jogging around the neighbourhood to yoga (I even wrote a piece about my exercise experiences, check it out!), but never tried anything that required lifting weight. I was just always way too scared to cross the threshold at the gym separating the cardio equipment from the heavy weights. Whenever I thought about crossing over to the other side and giving something a try, I’d see a big, buff guy or a super strong and fit girl walk by and I would immediately lose any confidence I had.I’ve always been a thin girl, and I’ve never had much muscle in my life; my friends growing up would always comment on how small or weak I was. Because of how I considered my body to be, I didn’t think I would be good at lifting weights. With low confidence in my physical ability, I confined myself to the cardio section of the gym, believing that was all my body could handle. But most of all, I stuck to cardio out of the fear that I would embarrass myself in front of others, or show others how weak I believed I was.It doesn’t help that society thinks that lifting weights is not for women. Or that women can’t be strong or gain muscle. I have to admit, I have definitely fell prey to these beliefs at times too. But I’ve realized since then that what society thinks about women and weights is plain wrong. Lifting weights is for women, because we are strong and there is nothing wrong with gaining muscle. We should not be afraid to cross the threshold at the gym and to use the equipment that men predominately occupy. We deserve to occupy that space too. I am at the beginning of my weight lifting journey. With my thin build, I don’t plan on becoming a body builder or gaining incredible muscle, but I lift weights to build my courage. Although my progress has been slow, I feel stronger and more confident everyday. Not only has weight lifting helped better my confidence, but it is simply a great workout and an awesome way to stay fit! Crossing over to the other side of the gym was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Everyone is at their own stage in their journey, and I’ve never felt that anyone has judged me for the stage that I am at. If you have ever thought about lifting weights, but were too intimidated to try, give it a shot! I promise you that it is not as scary as it seems, and that you definitely have the capability to succeed. Cross that threshold, HCUBC!Â
Â